High School Never Ends
by murrdaburr
Summary: Chapter 1: The One Where Bucky Thinks He's Dreaming Author: murrdaburr Wordcount: 844 Description: Bucky's been an orphan since the age of 4. He's dreamed of leaving Hydra since the first day he got dropped on their doorstep. And he finally gets his chance when a fight goes too far and Phil Coulson comes to rescue him. HighSchool!AU, eventual Steve/Bucky
1. Chapter 1

The large oak trees fly by and make way for skyscrapers as his case worker speeds on the highway, desperate to leave the country side and orphanage behind them. Bucky idly touches his left shoulder, which tapers into nothingness, an empty sleeve left behind as a ghost of the one thing he had control over until one too many fights with the other Hydra children left him blacked out in the hospital for two weeks. It all happened too fast. All he really remembers is pounding Zola's face into the dirt for calling him a faggot and then being dragged by Pierce and his gang to the monkey bars where they left him to hang. They found him the next morning, left arm completely broken, infection creeping in slowly, and days later when he finally woke up in the hospital it didn't hurt anymore, it didn't anything anymore. They assigned Bucky a case worker, someone to rescue him from years' worth of torture masquerading behind one incident.

"Guess I really had to give an arm and a leg to get the hell out of that place." Bucky said the first time he met Phil Coulson.

"Just the arm will suffice James." Phil says pulling a smile out of Bucky's stern face. He wasn't in bad shape for a kid who woke up with one less limb than expected. He was on his fourth cup of Jell-O when Phil asked, "Are you sure you're okay? You're taking this pretty well. When Nick Fury sent me here he warned me this was the worst case he'd ever seen. I'd agree."

"I've seen worse. I've had worse." Bucky says nonchalantly as he rips open the foil top with his teeth and digs in. "I'm right handed anyway."

Phil wonders what could have possibly happened to James Buchanan Barnes over the past 12 years in that orphanage that an accident this bad barely phased him.

"What? Don't look at me like that. I'm hungry. Would you rather me cry into your shoulder? Just tell me you're taking me away from this fucking place."

It's Phil's turn to smile as he slides the empty cups aside and places a folder in front of Bucky. "Mr. Fury wants you at the academy. He's willing to sponsor you fully, tuition, room and board, all you have to do is say yes."

Bucky had heard of Shield Academy before; home of the brightest and bravest, training ground for future military and political leaders. But the question was how they heard about him.

"You have the highest test scores we've ever seen James. We'd love to have you as a student, you could do amazing things."

Bucky remembers the test, given to every 13 year-old in the country with the hopes of finding the key to world peace hidden in America's youth. It was the dumbest thing he'd ever seen. A series of physical endurance exercises and a 500 question packet later, left Bucky with the understanding that adults just didn't get the idea behind war and defense. There are good guys, and there are bad guys, and you made sure no one died. It seemed like common sense to Bucky. He told Phil as much.

"Do you see why we want you now James?"

Bucky didn't see. But he didn't care, Bucky had just won the lottery.

"When do we leave?

A couple weeks of therapy later, Bucky loaded his duffel bag of worldly belongings into the back of Phil Coulson's car and headed towards New York City. He was still trying to get used to his body, much lighter now. Bucky was unsure how a one armed punk from Brooklyn was supposed to keep up in a military academy but if Phil said he could do it then maybe it was possible. Phil could have told him anything and he would have believed it. Bucky didn't believe in God but if he did he imagines that he'd look something like Phil Coulson, the man who raised him from hell.

"How long is it going to take to get to Shield?"

"We're making a quick stop first."

Bucky held his breath. Maybe it wasn't true, maybe they were taking him to another orphanage. Or maybe this was all a horrible dream. How fast was the car going? Was it going slow enough for him to stop, drop, and roll out?

"It'll be another half hour till we get to Stark Industries. When I told you Nick Fury would sponsor you, I meant it. He doesn't half ass things James. Howard Stark has a new prosthetic technology we've been investing in and you're the perfect candidate. If you'll allow us, we'll make you whole again. It'll be a quick stop. You don't have to agree to anything yet, just pop in, take a look at what Mr. Stark has to offer you and then we'll head to the academy."

Bucky has to start breathing again because his jaw drops to the edge of his chest. This had to be a dream.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a metal arm.

"Feel like Cinderella kid?" Howard Stark asked from behind his desk.

When Phil said prosthetic, he figured a top of the line plastic arm would be in the works, but he should have known better when they stopped in front of Stark Tower, largest self-sustaining building in the world, led by the new age Stephen Hawking, that nothing coming out of Stark Industries would ever be made from the same material as a Barbie doll.

"That's one hell of a glass slipper sir." Bucky said as he walked around the arm hovering over the pedestal, blue holographic labels appearing wherever he touched. "Will it hurt?"

"Yes."

"Could I die?"

"Yes."

"Is it worth it?"

"Absolutely."

They scheduled the surgery for next month, allowing Bucky's shoulder to heal completely before they attached the arm to his nerves. As far as Howard Stark knew, the arm would provide Bucky with seamless, painless movement. After installation they would run additional tests to understand the technology's potential while attached to a living host.

"Congratulations Mr. Barnes, welcome to the team. We're excited to have you on board. When you get to Shield, talk to my son Tony, he'll take good care of you." Howard Stark winked as he led them both out, signaling JARVIS to put the room and arm under full security lockdown.

"We'll do monthly checkups on you at the Academy, to make sure your body accepts the arm and we'll go from there. Let us know if you have any questions, but if you ever doubt the experiment, remember that you're our key to changing the world." Howard ends the conversation there and quietly walks back to the Tower leaving Bucky more confused than ever.

"This is fucking ridiculous Phil." Bucky says as soon as they get in the car, finally heading to Shield.

"What is?"

"I'm not Harry fucking Potter. And you're not Hagrid. But it sure as hell feels like it right now. What does Fury want with me?"

Phil sighs dramatically, "James we-"

"It's Bucky."

"Bucky, I gotta be honest with you here I'm not sure either. My orders were to come collect you. Fury's not looking to adopt if that's what you're worried about. If that was happening, I'd take the liberty of sending you back to Brooklyn myself."

Bucky was still skeptical. Two weeks ago he had nothing, no family, no friends, no money and now he had the world at his nonexistent fingertips.

"There's got to be a catch Phil."

"Knowing Fury there probably is, but I'd say this is the best option you have right now Bucky. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

Phil was better than any fairy godmother Cinderella ever had.

They eventually pulled up to a reinforced gate with SHIELD superimposed on it in gray. Phil leaned out of the car window giving the retina scanner a couple of seconds to register before the entrance gave way to a large garage. Bucky couldn't understand how any military enterprises could be housed in a flashy skyscraper, but he wasn't surprised by the design itself, as every interactive glass panel and JARVIS enabled room screamed Stark Industries.

"Leave your bag, we'll have it taken up to your room later. Fury will want to see you now. He must have had eyes on us since 10 blocks out."

A large, transparent elevator took them up to Nick Fury's living quarters, giving Bucky flashing glimpses of classrooms, fighting arenas, gun ranges, and dorms as they shot up to the Penthouse floor. The doors opened but Bucky's way was blocked by a tall dark-haired boy leaning lazily on the entrance with a smirk that seemed permanent, framed by a goatee that looked much too old for the face it was attached to.

"Fresh meat?" The boy said to Phil, continuing to look at Bucky as he let his eyes drift slowly down to his stump of an arm. Bucky shifts his feet slowly into a fighting stance and fists his remaining hand, unsure where this was going but ready to scrap just like all those years in the playground.

"Unclench kid, I was just kidding. Already know all about you, who do you think designed that arm?" The boy says with a big wink, sliding his way past the two of them as Phil pulls a dumbfounded Bucky out of the elevator. Everybody had heard of Tony before but Bucky's still surprised that he couldn't recognize the spitting image of Howard Stark, 18 year-old kid genius, inventor of half of America's military weapons and heir to his dad's corporate empire. Bucky can't figure out whether to take a swing at Howard's kid or get his autograph, but before he gets a chance to Phil rolls his eyes,

"Cool it Tony, get another spanking from Fury?"

"He wishes. There was an issue with the short range missiles I built last week. I need another $20 million for the second set of prototypes but he's a stingy bastard."

Missiles? $20 million? Bucky could practically hear the gust of wind from the conversation flying over his head.

"Wait, Phil, what did he just say?" Bucky asks with wide eyes.

Tony's face wrinkles in confusion and the doors close and shoots him down the building as he yells up "What did YOU just say? His first name is Agent!"

"Before you ask, he's always like that." Phil says as his eyes threaten to roll completely backwards.

Phil leads the way to Nick Fury's office and Bucky feels heavier with every step. The high rise skyscraper and Tony's words floating around Bucky's mind threaten to drown him with doubt as he begins to mull over the idea that maybe he should have thought twice before jumping into a stranger's car and let himself be stolen away to such a strange place.

Bucky's not sure why he assumed Nick Fury would be sitting in a large leather chair, waiting to swivel around ominously like the paragon of every mob boss he had obsessed over in the Godfather movies. Instead Bucky followed Phil into the office and found Nick Fury sitting on the floor in front of his desk with papers spread all around him, eyebrows furrowed, nibbling thoughtfully at a burrito. He was disappointingly normal, minus the eyepatch, which Bucky reminded himself to ask Phil about later. They stand there for a beat before Fury finally looks up, "Good morning Agent Coulson, Mr. Barnes, have a seat." He gestures to the floor in front of him, completely disregarding the nice comfy couches Bucky's eyeing to his left.

Phil quickly takes a seat on the floor as if this is nothing new while Bucky awkwardly plops on the ground, waiting for Fury to pull out a story time book because that's what happened the last time Bucky had ever sat with his legs 'criss cross apple sauce'.

"Now what are you confused about Mr. Barnes?" Fury says as he shifts his good eye over to look at Bucky calmly, taking another big bite of his burrito. It would be almost comical if it wasn't for the fact that Bucky was more intimidated than he had ever been before. More than when Mr. Schmidt beat him senseless and sent him to bed bloody and starving for standing up for a friend at Hydra. More than when he found out his dad was killed in combat and his mom died of heartbreak.

Bucky gulps loudly but can't bring himself to ask any of the questions that were swimming in his mind. Phil speaks instead, "Bucky just wanted to know exactly why he's here. A fair question I think."

Nick Fury chews thoughtfully as he continues staring into Bucky's face. He reaches behind him for a bright red folder and hands it to Bucky. "We've been watching you for years Mr. Barnes, ever since your father died. He was a stellar soldier, and we think you can be too. You are Phase 2 of Project SS, the US government's endeavor at creating the next breed of super soldiers. But more importantly Mr. Barnes, you're strong, passionate, brave, and you are the epitome of everything that is right about the military. How's that for a fucking answer?" Fury says as he leans back on his desk, lips quirking up into a smile for the first time since Bucky entered his office.

Bucky's mind goes into overdrive as he fails to process how someone has unexceptional as him could possibly be scouted by any organization as important as the US GOVERNMENT.

"I'm sorry sir, I'm more confused than ever. How did yo-"

"You're not the first person we've taken from Hydra Mr. Barnes. You were a lucky find, a surprise accident after we found our initial target for Phase 1."

Bucky rubs the back of his neck in confusion, feeling the tension continuing to build as Nick Fury looks at him like an idiot for not understanding. He opens to mouth to ask another question when Fury shuts him up with the most surprising thing he's heard all day.

"Mr. Barnes, does the name Steve Rogers ring a bell?"

Of course it did.


End file.
